Predator
by Erithil
Summary: A stowaway, a mysterious island and a strange creature that prowls the woods. Faced with unexpected danger, Zoro and Sanji need to work together to deal with it. A Zoro & Sanji friendship fic.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Yup, another multi-chaptered story to explore the friendship between Zoro and Sanji. And it's my first attempt (though I fear it'll be a poor attempt) at incorporating some "action/adventure" elements into a story because what's OP without action/adventure right? Hope it'll turn out alright and everyone can at least get some enjoyment out of it.

Oh yeah, incidentally, this story was inspired by that movie with the same name…Heh, let the hunt begin!

Disclaimer: One Piece and all characters mentioned are created by Eiichiro Oda.

**A Startling Discovery**

Zoro really needed to go.

Consequently, he was the first one to discover the stowaway hiding in the bathroom, huddled under the sink with knees drawn up, and grimy black hair almost the same colour as the shadows that fell upon the inconspicuous form, he almost missed it.

Now, Zoro was the sort of man with very few beliefs but those that he had, he held on to them with the utmost resolve.

And one of them was that a man like him who is constantly embroiled in life-threatening battles, risking insanity by being in the same living space with crackpot Luffy and his idiot cook for extended periods of time, deserves a little personal space, some uninterrupted moments to let his guard down and indulge in private things. In his humble opinion, the bathroom was precisely one such place the universe set aside for him to be alone, relax and go about some very private business.

So to find this small simple request he had of life denied, it was just…just…just _unacceptable_!

Thus, he let out a manly roar of indignation, which Sanji later insisted sounded more like a distinctly unmanly shriek of horror and surprise, and sent his crewmates running to the bathroom.

Crowding in the doorway, they followed the line of Zoro's affronted outstretched finger to look at the small figure tucked between the sink and bathtub.

Luffy put his head to the side, then righted it with a smile and a cheery "Yo!"

The girls exchanged a puzzled glance before turning back to the stowaway, an uncertain look on Nami's face and a vaguely amused one on Robin's.

He didn't even need to look to know the pathetic cook had a huge vapid lovesick grin on his stupid face, his eyes unfocused and aglow with adoration.

Usopp and Chopper did not even look, holding onto each other for moral support as they cowered trembling behind Luffy, because anything that could make Zoro shout like that really did _not_ need to be looked at.

Then everyone turned to Zoro, as if expecting an introduction or something.

Zoro took a deep breath, calmly lowered his arm and opened his mouth to say the one thing he could in this situation.

"_Out!_"

With that, he pulled the girl up by the wrist, pushed her out towards his startled crewmates and slammed the door.

Because he _really_ needed to go.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight." Zoro said, his voice low and menacing, as he narrowed his eyes at the stowaway across the table. "You think you can just slip onto _our_ ship, trespass into _our_ bathroom and merrily expect _us _to give you a ride to your home island."

"Er…well I…that is…I…I mean…" The girl quailed, shrinking under his wrathful gaze.

"Oh never mind him, Aiko-chan." Sanji beamed as he set a bowl of steaming noodles in front of the frightened girl with a flourish, casually moving the tall water jug so that it blocked her from Zoro's direct and very angry line of sight. "He's a social retard with manners worse than an ape. I wouldn't bother with him if I were you."

"Besides," The cook took her hand and gazed down at her lovingly. "any gentleman would consider it his duty and his honor to be able to escort a beautiful lady such as yourself home."

The water sloshed violently in the jug as Zoro shoved the water jug aside and slammed his hands onto the table. "Look here, you shitty cook." He growled, the suffocating sensation of pure frustration whenever he tried to talk to the cook was building fast and not helping his mood one bit.

It had been a trying day, with pesky Marines who insisted on trying to capture them at the last port. The small battle that resulted might have been considered a perk, if they didn't have to cut short the very satisfying fight to rush back to the Going Merry because they would miss the evening tide if they did not cast off soon. What's worse was that it had seemed as if they were _running away_! Zoro gritted his teeth. He still seethed inside when he thought about it.

And out of nowhere popped this girl who expected them to send her home, as if it was the most natural thing for pirates to do to stowaways.

People who expect this sort of behavior from pirates were either very stupid, or have something up their sleeves. And Zoro wasn't ready to bet their stowaway didn't belong to the latter category.

"We don't know who she is, we can't trust her, and we definitely can't just pick up random people like that and change our course just so she can get home!" At this, he looked around at the others sitting at the table, chewing on their dinners as they watched the exchange like it was some fascinating puppet show.

"Aww…I think the little marimo is getting a wee bit paranoid…" Sanji mocked in a sing-song voice as he leaned his hip against the sink, lazily lighting up a cigarette.

His hand flew to a sword hilt. "I'll show you paranoid, you bastard!"

"Zoro's right." Nami announced suddenly, breaking up the fight before it began. Zoro looked at her in surprise, never expecting that woman would actually take his side on something.

"We barely know her…we can't just go off course like that-" She set her chopsticks down beside her bowl daintily and gave Aiko a dark, meaningful smile. "-for free."

Chopper yelped and hid behind Usopp at the navigator's creepy expression and disturbing tone of voice. Sanji burst out a plaintive "But Nami-san!" and Luffy took the chance to steal pieces of fried pork from everyone's bowls.

Over the din of the cook's valiant efforts to protect the ladies' dinner, the wailing of the diminutive reindeer and sounds of desperate mastication from their captain, Aiko spoke.

"I'm sorry." Everyone paused and looked at her. The kitchen fell silent.

"I'm so sorry everyone." Her head bowed, her black hair straggly with sweat and dirt hung over her shoulders and shadowed her face. "I had money, I really did. I was going to take a ferry home and prepared enough for a ticket." Her voice turned tearful, her thin shoulders sagged as she folded her small hands in her lap in distress. "But I was robbed…I tried to find work to get some money but couldn't…and…and I really want to go home…"

She looked up at them with pleading eyes, her hands searching through the pockets of the tattered brown dress she wore. "Please! All I have is the Eternal Pose for home and a few coins." She said desperately, producing the items and placing them on the table.

"But I have money at home and I promise I'll pay you for your trouble when we get to my village." Her green eyes were starting to glisten with tears but she held her head high and proud. "I swear upon my honor I'll pay you back. Please, I beg all of you, please help me!"

It was impossible to read Robin's typical reaction of detached interest but Zoro looked at the uncertainty in Usopp's face, the way Chopper's nose was twitching in sympathy, the compassion in the cook's face, the sudden softness in Nami's expression-and most importantly-the grim look of determination in Luffy's eyes even as he munched on a drumstick, and Zoro knew he had lost his case.

He narrowed his eyes at the girl, even as Luffy swallowed his mouthful of meat to proclaim loudly that it'll be fun to go see what this 'Baydrop Island' is all about and Nami grousing half-heartedly in the background reminding Aiko that she'll have to pay them when she got home. She smiled, shyly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, nodding earnestly and thanking everyone profusely.

What an expert manipulator, he thought sourly, watching the girl. She was probably around Nami's age, with an unremarkable face and black hair cut in an unflattering style. But the simple country innocence and honesty in her features certainly helped endear her to his crewmates.

Zoro snorted, he would not be fooled so easily. Something felt off about this whole situation but he just couldn't pin-point what.

Unable to convince his crewmates, unable to allay his own uneasiness, Zoro knew he could do little else. "As always, the decision lies with the captain." He said shortly, giving Luffy a nod to show his respect for the decision, even though not his support. Then, he stood up and stormed out of the galley. Aiko looked up at him as he stormed past and their eyes met, and she quickly averted her gaze. Zoro clenched his fist and slammed the door on the way out.

Outside, the sun had set and the day was rapidly cooling towards night. He stood against the railings on the aft deck and leaned into the salt-laced breeze, enjoying the way it rippled through his short hair and tugged playfully at his clothes. The chatter of his crewmates mingled with muted clinks of cutlery floated up to him on the evening air. He stood like that for a long time, trying to figure out why he was uncomfortable with the whole idea of sending Aiko home. It wasn't as if they hadn't helped a few people sail home before. He stood thinking, listening, until the noise faded and everyone dispersed to their duties before settling down for the night.

A soft step behind him made him spin around, his hand on his sword before he recognized who it was that had joined him.

"Cook-san said it's a sin to waste food." Robin smiled and held up one hand in greeting, her other hand held his half-eaten bowl of noodles and a pair of chopsticks. "Your dinner."

Zoro nodded grudgingly, accepting the meal. The noodles were hot, with steam rising visibly in the cool night air. Sanji had taken the trouble to re-heat it.

_That idiot._ Zoro sneered, half-mocking and half-amazed, but grateful for the consideration nonetheless.

Sitting himself down on the deck, he began tucking in, suddenly realizing how hungry he was when the wonderful aroma made his stomach growl. He raised an eyebrow when Robin sat down beside him, folding her legs under her with casual grace. She smiled faintly, seeming amused by the expression on his face, but remained silent, turning away to gaze absently into the distance. Zoro ignored her and continued eating.

Presently, she spoke. "You do not think our unexpected passenger is telling the truth?"

He gave her a sidelong glance and paused in his chewing. "I don't trust her." He said flatly after swallowing his mouthful of noodles.

"Hmm." The historian laced her fingers together thoughtfully. "But Baydrop Island does exist, and she has also produced an Eternal Pose for the island."

"From what I know," She mused and Zoro listened as he went on with his dinner. "The island is surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs; the only approach is by a bay, hence its name. Such unique geographical conditions hindered travels so the islanders are self-sufficient, most engaged in agricultural activities." She glanced at Zoro and shrugged. "Aiko-san has sun-browned skin and wore simple garbs which would suggest such rustic origins. Her naïve ways are evident in her speech and her distress is real."

She pursed her lips as she considered the problem further, then shook her head. "She appears to be who she claims to be. I could discern no deceit."

Under that placid, harmless-looking façade, Zoro knew his crewmate was a highly competent assassin, with powerful skills of observations that was crucial to her trade. But her analysis of their situation did nothing to dispel the uncomfortable feeling he had, so he rolled his eyes grouchily and gave a careless wave with his chopsticks to dismiss her words.

"Che! Who knows? It could all be an act, you know."

There was a mirthful glint in her dark eyes as she exhaled with a quiet laugh. "Ah, swordsman-san…you couldn't still be cross that she'd _almost_ outraged your modesty, could you?

"Hmph." He snorted sourly, sounding a little petulant even to his own ears. "I just don't trust her."

"The way you didn't-and still don't-trust me?"

He stared at her for a long moment, taken aback by her bold question. Then he turned away abruptly, suddenly intent on looking into the soupy remains of his meal at the bottom of the bowl. "It's different." He growled quietly.

"Hn." Robin made a small thoughtful noise at the back of her throat, too vague to make anything out of it but he thought she sounded pleased.

"Well," She went on mildly. "Baydrop is famous for its craftsmanship. They reap sizable revenue when they venture out to sell their wares once or twice a year, so the village must be prosperous. If Aiko-san is genuine, she'll make good her promise on our payment. Navigator-san will be most delighted."

"_If_ she is genuine." He muttered darkly.

They shared a glance and she acknowledged him with a slight incline of her head, a silent consent that she'll be on her guard as well.

And the Going Merry glided silently through the dark waters, bringing them all closer and closer, towards Baydrop Island.


	2. Nightfall at Baydrop

Yeah I know, the first chapter doesn't exactly say very much…in fact, this one doesn't too (nervous smile)…and I'm not sure if there's a lot of plot and stuff later on either…heh heh…(embarrassed laugh). But I'll try my best to finish this story regardless. Many thanks to everyone who had taken time to leave me a review, they made me very happy and motivated to continue. Thank you all so much!

Oh, and mangoleaf? You're right. Zoro and Sanji "would be out in some forest/woods and get attacked by some beast" soon, _real soon_. (grin)

**Nightfall at Baydrop**

The week leading up to the landing at Baydrop Island passed uneventfully. After the first few days of awkwardness of having a stranger on board passed, Aiko blended easily into their daily routine, much like Vivi and other past passengers they unwittingly picked up before had done. Luffy stopped his endless excited questions about her hometown and the telling of tales of the 'Great Captain Usopp' eased a little when the novelty of having a new audience wore off. The days stretched out as they usually did when at sea, passing from one to the next with almost mind-numbing monotony.

Aiko remained as she had first seemed-polite, a little shy, but filled with a quiet sincerity that easily invoked affection and trust in others. As the Straw Hats got used to her presence, she too relaxed around them. She would often be seen lounging on deck with Nami in the mornings, indulging in some gossip. Afternoons were spent with Chopper laughing over some book, or helping with chores around the ship.

All things considered, she was a perfectly ordinary young woman with no motives other than the one she told them.

But Zoro continued to watch her. Like a hawk, he watched her, nerves coiled like a tightly wound spring ready to pounce the moment she made an unwarranted move.

He had developed an unusually heightened awareness from his swordsman's training and too much time spent living life as a bounty hunter had also given him a special sense when it came to suspicious characters. He couldn't understand it nor did he ever bother with the effort to, content to know it was a natural instinct that cued him to whether someone or a situation was a threat. An intuition that was pretty useful, he knew from experience.

And ever since he laid eyes on Aiko, his internal danger alarm had been buzzing like crazy, grating at the back of his mind like two pieces of broken bones that hadn't been splinted properly.

His heavy-lidded gaze trained on her as he lay stretched out in his usual afternoon napping spot. She must have felt his eyes on her for she looked up from the carving she was whittling out of a piece of wood and smiled tentatively at him. He narrowed his eyes and scowled, darkly amused when her face fell and she quickly looked away.

There's still a pirate on this ship who won't be fooled by your _rustic_ charms, lady; he thought to himself smugly.

"Land! I see land!" Usopp's shout floated down from the crow's nest.

"Where? Where?" A dark head poked out of the bunk room, followed by the rest of Luffy as he sprung out excitedly, pulling himself to sit on the figurehead with a stretch of his arms.

"There!" The sharpshooter had climbed down and joined him, handing him the spyglass and pointing to a speck on the horizon.

"I'll take that, thank you." Nami snagged the spyglass up neatly before Luffy could take it. Ignoring the commotion of a screaming Usopp trying to help his floundering captain as he scrambled to regain his balance from trying to grab the spyglass, she calmly looked through the eyepiece, twisting the scope to focus. Then, holding up the Eternal Pose and sighting along the suspended magnet, she nodded.

"That's Baydrop Island all right. We'll get there by nightfall."

"Nami-san is so wonderfully authoritative!" Sanji cooed, hands clasped together worshipfully. He started trailing after their navigator as she went off to supervise the preparations for the landing, shouting orders all the way. Suddenly, he pivoted around and beamed dazzlingly at their stowaway; as if afraid she would think he was ignoring her. "Well, Aiko-chan, isn't it great? You'll be home soon!"

"Wha-?" She had been gazing at the island contemplatively and started badly when the cook spoke, turning around quickly to face him.

One curly eyebrow dipped slightly into a frown of concern as he moved swiftly to her side. "Are you quite alright, Aiko-chan?"

"Oh, Sanji-san…I…I…" She stuttered a bit before taking a deep breath, regaining her composure. "Yes, I'm all right. Thank you for your concern."

Then she smiled widely, joyfully, her teeth flashing white in contrast against her tan complexion. "I thought I'll never see Baydrop again. I'm very happy…overwhelmed actually. It's been so long since I have last seen it…" Her smile faded a little, expression turning a tad wistful, but the bright shine in her dark eyes betrayed the true extent of her delight.

"Yes, a truly momentous day." Sanji was nodding in agreement, smiling as he gave her a wink. "We must celebrate. I'll whip up something spectacular for dinner."

"Dinner? Now? Dinner now? Luffy rushed over, responding on reflex to all food-related cue words. He grinned hopefully. "Meat?"

"Later. Dinner later." The cook sighed and rolled his eyes, raising one leg to deliver an admonishing tap to their captain's head. His cigarette trailed smoke as he waved it about carelessly like he was chasing away a swarm of buzzing flies. "But yeah alright, I'll see what I can do about the meat."

"Great! I say, I say! Can we have a party on the beach? Huh huh, can we? With lotsa meat? _Lots!_ And a campfire, a _huge_ one! And meat! _Meat!_ Can we, Sanji, please…" Their captain bounced eagerly after the cook.

Zoro spared a lazy glance at the backs of his retreating crewmates as they moved off towards the galley before fixing his gaze back on Aiko. Just in time to catch the fond yet oddly regretful look she cast towards his crewmates before she turned to face the sea again, as if pained.

Alone at the prow and unaware she was being watched, Aiko moved to stand near the railings, leaning against it at she stared thoughtfully into the distance at the dark blob. It was growing by the moment, already taking on a hazy irregular shape of an island. She sighed quietly to herself, the joy she showed earlier was fading fast, replaced by a somber expression now that she thought no one was looking. The wind whipped her black hair into her face but she did not seem to notice, standing so motionless she might have been a statue. Her hands were clenched almost unconsciously around the half finished carving she still held as she looked at the approaching island with a strange intensity.

Zoro frowned, his uneasiness went up another notch and his hand automatically sought out one of his swords.

Her face was calm and determined, betraying nothing but her entire small frame was rigid with tension. Then abruptly, as if the spell that had held her immobile broke, she tore her eyes away from the horizon and bit her lip. A myriad of emotions flashed through her black eyes, and was gone in the next instant, so fast that he wondered if he had really seen it.

There was a lingering trace of happiness that seemed at odds with the sharp glint of hatred that blazed in her eyes. There was also an unmistakable longing, frustration, uncertainty, no small amount of worry and many others emotions too jumbled up to identify. But there was one he recognized easily.

Fear.

His frown deepened.

* * *

That disturbing glimpse of emotions Aiko displayed stayed with him for a long time, setting him more on edge than ever. Night had fallen and with the ship safely anchored in the bay, the impromptu beach party was in full swing. Luffy and the younger members of their crew were capering about in a rather disorganized game of tag near the water edge, shouting and kicking up sand as they ran. They broke into song suddenly, singing tunelessly and hopelessly off-key, loud enough to send several of the birds that were roosting in the trees at the edge of the forest behind them into flight, squawking as they soared like black shadows against the moon.

The young pirates laughed, completely unrepentant, falling to the ground and wriggling about in unstrained glee.

Zoro ignored his rowdy crewmates, choosing instead to sit by himself on a rock and started cleaning his swords. He had always found the repetitive motions of smoothing cloth over steel calming but it did not stop him from glaring balefully at Aiko across the merrily blazing campfire as he worked.

They had reached Baydrop in the early hours of the evening, staring in awe at the towering cliffs that loomed over them as they sailed past them. The setting sun brought an orange cast to the craggy grey surface which was so steep that only the vines, weeds and thousands of noisy gulls could find a foothold. Nami expertly guided the ship past the occasional boulder hidden beneath the waves and round a bend without accident into a cove on the western shore, the only accessible point to the island by sea Robin had spoken of.

It was a natural harbour with deep, dark waters which buoyed the Going Merry easily. He had dropped the anchor and joined the rest as they went ashore. There was a tropical feel to the island, with its wide swathe of white sandy beach and the dense line of trees that was the start of even more thick vegetation that extended as far as the eyes could see. Aiko had said her village lay just half a day's worth of travel through the forest, and that they were all invited to her home, if only to get the payment she promised.

He had thought briefly '_To hell with the payment and let's just leave already!_' The vague sense of foreboding that had niggled at him in the past week was almost palpable now as he stood staring at the dark waters and the equally gloomy forest. Zoro didn't think he was a man who was easily frightened by danger, in fact, he relished the challenge difficult situations and often go looking for trouble himself. After all, he did leave his village with the single purpose to seek out the greatest, and indisputably dangerous, swordsman and fight him.

Definitely not a coward then. But also, most certainly not a fool.

There were dangers which one had the chance to survive, those he believed should be braved and perhaps gain improvement should one emerge victorious. But he was not so arrogant as to think there were no battles that were beyond his power to win. Sometimes, some things were just too much for his current abilities, and to still walk into such a fight despite knowing it would just be a stunning display of stupidity.

And this, this was something he could sense he was not ready for, that _they_ were not ready for. He could sense it, lurking just beyond the edge of his consciousness, this ominous press of danger that was closing in all around them …waiting…

But the others were excited, wanting to visit Aiko's village. Nami also made it very clear that anyone who stood between her and money will come to a very, _very_ sorry end.

Maybe it's nothing, just adrenaline from that last lousy, unsatisfying fight with the Marines, he thought as he watched Sanji twirled around the campsite, delicate glasses filled with some sort of colorful concoction balanced on a silver platter. Like the rest, the cook seemed to be a good mood, gushing about how there was nothing like a nice wood-fire to properly bring out the flavours of the meat.

"Oi. Drink and quit practicing your sour-face look." A glass was shoved under his nose.

He grinned when he saw it wasn't that frilly, dainty bit of drink that Sanji was serving but a sturdy mug full of pale liquid gold.

"Ah, rum." He said intelligently, setting aside his swords and polishing cloth to take the drink.

The single uncovered eye gave an exaggerated roll and the cook sat down beside him with a sigh. They were silent for a moment as Zoro took an appreciative swig of the rum while Sanji shook a cigarette out from his pack, cupping his hands around the end to light it.

He took a long slow drag before giving Zoro a nudge with his elbow. "So, what's your problem with Aiko-chan?"

Zoro narrowed his eyes and ignored him, choosing to let his own dark expression answer the question.

"Eh?" Sanji gave him a sly teasing look out of the corner of his eye. "Still sore about that bathroom incident?"

He growled. "One more word, cook, and I swear I'll-" Then he huffed in irritation, feeling too strung out to engage with petty quarrels. "Just don't like her." He mumbled grumpily, taking another gulp from his mug. "Something feels wrong."

The cook stared at him for a moment, then humor vanished from his face, making him appear serious all of a sudden. "Something feels wrong alright." He said softly, his eyes darting to the dark forest and down along the beach to where their crewmates were still shrieking as they played by the water. "But it's not Aiko-chan."

Zoro was instantly alert. "You sense it too?" He noticed the well-concealed tension in the cook's lithe frame then, a kind of battle-ready wariness that he was all too familiar with. "What is it?"

Sanji shook his head with a frown, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably as if he could feel invisible eyes watching him. "I'm not sure…just…you know…_something_…" He trailed off, tapping loose ash from the tip of cigarette and absently scuffing the grey powder into the sand with the toe of one shoe.

Behind them, the wind whistled through the trees and the forest moaned.

After a moment, Zoro snorted, breaking the silence. "Geez, cook, that was _real_ helpful."

"Hey! Like you've got it all figured out, Mr. Sword-polish-for-brains!" The blond snapped, bristling.

"Well, I know for one, something doesn't feel right with Aiko-_chan_ over there."

"You bastard! Don't you go putting blame on innocent ladies like that!"

"Innocent? That woman is an intruder!"

"Oh, I see. So this is still about that bathroom incident."

"It's not! I told you-"

"_Quiet!_" Nami's fists connected quite solidly with their skulls. "Some of us are trying to enjoy the night here."

"Sorry, Nami-san." Sanji said meekly as their navigator went back to her spot by the fire. Aiko was already wrapped up in blankets, lying down beside the fire, gazing up at the stars. Zoro glowered at them both, rubbing the bump on his head.

The cook took a deep breath and stood, dropping the spent cigarette and crushing it with his heel into the sand. He stuck his hands into his trousers' pockets with deceptive casualness but his blue eye was sharp when they exchanged a glance.

Then he nodded solemnly, one corner of his lips quirked in a faint smile. Zoro knew that look well.

_Don't worry, we can protect everyone_, that look said, _and you watch out for yourself too, idiot marimo._

Zoro found himself smirking back his own response, suddenly feeling a lot calmer. This familiar little exchange was strangely comforting.

That night, sleep found him easily as he lay down with his crewmates scattered around him slumbering on the beach, listening to the wet squish of Usopp's boots as he trampled across the sand for the first watch. Tomorrow, Zoro thought drowsily, tomorrow by this time we will be off this island; no more stowaways, no more bad vibes.

Little did he know how wrong he was.


	3. Strange Disappearances

Thanks for the reviews everyone! It's heartening to see that readers are enjoying this story. Thanks for giving me motivation to write on! (smile) One thing I'm worried about though, is Aiko coming across as a Mary-Sue? (shudder) I hope not, but do tell me what you think.

My apologies in advance but this chapter is a bit long…anyway, here it is.

**Strange Disappearances**

It was late in the morning when Zoro finally awoke.

He squinted at the sun already well above the horizon. Sunlight was beating down on the exposed beach with cheery determination, turning the white foamy tops of the tossing waves into gold. It looked like the start to a hot sweltering day, he thought as he shut his eyes momentarily against the glare.

The sand shifted and felt warm under his palm as he pushed himself up and looked around groggily. The camp was just stirring, all similarly sleepy-eyed from the lively party of the previous night. Scratching the back of his head idly, he yawned widely as he absently looked his companions over, habitually checking to make sure that nothing was amiss.

His gaze went automatically to Aiko first, satisfied when he found her to be exactly where he expected her to be, kneeling at the spot beside the fire where she had slept, folding her blanket up neatly.

A picture of utter harmless domesticity.

Usopp was shaking sand out of his boots, grumbling as he pulled them on. He gave the still snoring Luffy a friendly wake-up kick as he passed him on the way to the barrel where they kept water for washing, trying to smooth down his wiry hair as he went. Only Robin appeared to be her usual immaculate alert self, sitting at the little foldable table Sanji had set up for her, surveying the small personal morning rituals of her awaking crewmates with amused eyes.

The relaxed, lazy mood of his friends set his mind at ease. He listened to the sea lap at the shore with soothing regularity. In the bright light of morning, the forest looked less sinister, the lush vegetation and faint sound of birds amongst the leaves high above made it seem peaceful and full of life.

Zoro stretched and rolled his shoulders back in contentment, combing a hand back through his cropped green hair carelessly. The night had passed in safety, his nakama were rested and happy, nothing as far as he could tell suggested danger.

It all made it very easy to ignore the buzz of unease still nagging at the back of his mind.

"Hey, has anyone seen Chopper?" Usopp sat down beside the fire, rubbing a towel at his damp hair.

Sanji spared him a glance and shrugged. The fire had died down during the night and the cook sat on his heels by it, trying to coax the smoldering embers into flames. "He told me he needed to relieve himself and went into the forest a while ago."

"And he's still not back?" Aiko's voice was sharp. Zoro studied her with narrowed eyes, the tension returning to his body in a rush.

"Oh don't worry about it, Aiko-chan." Sanji sang out as he balanced the skillet over the now blazing fire and started laying out strips of bacon onto the hot metal. The fat sizzled merrily. "Chopper may look all cute and cuddly like the little fur-ball he is, but he's strong. He can take care of himself."

"I know, but…"

"Ah, and knowing Chopper, he's probably spotted some medicinal plant or something and forgot all about the time examining it." Usopp added.

"Sure, but I think…"

"They're right, you know." Nami cut in, sitting down beside their passenger. She acknowledged the enthusiastic morning greeting from Sanji with a nod, one hand toying idly with the necklace of small shells the cook had made for her the night before that still hung around her neck. "There's really no need to worry. Even if Chopper got lost, he can smell his way back to camp." She rolled her eyes with a sly smile. "He's not _Zoro_, you know."

Zoro flushed with silent anger and his crewmates burst into loud laughter at the long-standing private joke about their crewmate's poor sense of direction. Aiko looked from one chuckling pirate to another around her, bewildered and anxious. She bit her lip and fell silent, casting one last nervous look at the forest before starting to pick at her breakfast.

However, their general mood of optimism dampened down a little as the pancakes and eggs were all eaten, with Luffy managing to snatch the last piece of bacon even before it could be taken off the pan-

-and there was still no sign of Chopper.

"Well, I suppose we should just set out and meet him on the way?" Sanji said, standing up and dusting off the seat of his pants. He spoke casually, but Zoro caught the undertone of worry in his voice and looked up abruptly, frowning. The cook ignored him, dousing the fire and turned an inquiring eye to Luffy instead. "Captain?"

"Ngnhnn…" Luffy pouted mournfully at the obvious signs that the morning meal had ended. Then he perked up at the thought of exploring, his face lighting up with a huge eager grin as he clamped his straw hat firmly down on his head. "Yeah! Let's! Maybe Chopper's met some huge interesting monster…I want to see too!"

"Mon-mon-monster?" Came Usopp's predictable quaking. "Er guys…you all better go ahead…I think…I'm allergic to forests…Wait! I say _wait! No…LUFFY…!_" He wailed as his captain dashed towards the trees, happily dragging him behind.

From the corner of his eye, Zoro saw Aiko's face turn chalk pale, her eyes wide and fearful.

Then, she took a deep breath as if to calm herself, her lips pressing together into a thin hard line. After a brief touch to the largest knife she used in her woodwork that hung from her belt, she stalked after them towards the forest as well, her green eyes glittering with a strange determination.

Zoro stared thoughtfully after her, glowering darkly. He had a really bad feeling about this.

He glanced around to see if anyone else had seen Aiko's odd reaction but Nami was selecting some simple cartography tools to take along and Sanji was busy simpering beside her like a fool.

A delicate cough made him turn around to meet Robin's steady gaze. There was a calculative look in those dark intelligent eyes as she nodded solemnly at him before letting her lips spread into a slow meaningful smile.

_She's noticed it as well…_ Zoro watched as the tall archaeologist pick her way gracefully across the sand, mentally relaxing just the tiniest bit as she caught up with Aiko, falling into step innocently beside her.

It was considerably darker once they moved into the trees. The leafy branches were thick above, blocking out most of the sunlight and cast small random spots of ever-shifting brightness on the ground. Zoro trudged grimly through the woods, all senses keen and alert. The unsettling feeling was stronger in the shadowy dimness of the forest. The hair on the back of his neck prickled and he found himself fighting the urge to draw one of his swords. He settled instead for wrapping his hand tight around Wadou as his walked, tensed and watchful.

Around him, he could hear the rest similarly trampling about, dispersed in the general vicinity and looking for their doctor though in much better spirits. Blocked by the closely spaced trees and dense bushes he couldn't see his crewmates but he could hear them shouting for the reindeer in a merry cacophony of voices, interspersed with lighthearted laughter.

"Che! Idiots." He muttered. The ground was spongy beneath his boots as he walked deeper into forest, a combination of loose earth and moss. The hot humid weather of the island was even more unbearable in the depths of the jungle. Although out of direct sunlight, the air in the forest was still and musty. With no wind to stir the leaves, it was heavy with a sickeningly oppressive feel, smelling strongly of earth and rot; so saturated with moisture, the leaves glistened wetly with dew and clung to him like a clammy hand.

A couple of minutes into the search and sweat already drenched his brow and spotted his thin shirt. Wiping the side of his face with his sleeve, Zoro ducked under a low branch and swore as a vine smacked him in the face. He brushed the offending bit of vegetation away, then slapped at some insect buzzing near his ear irritably, getting more and more annoyed by the minute with this stupid forest, this stupid island, this stupid…oh where the _hell_ was Chopper?

Standing for a moment to catch his breath, he glared at his surroundings. "Chopper!" He cupped one hand to the side of his mouth and yelled. "Come out! We haven't got time for games!"

He was about to turn away and move on when he spotted a small splash of colour amidst the grey shadows and green bushes. Bending down, he snatched it up and his eyes went wide when he saw what it was.

It was Chopper's pink top hat, except half its brim was gone and one side had caved in as if crushed by a great force. An angry tear sliced through the white cross at the front neatly.

Zoro swallowed hard. The vague apprehension of the past week coalesced in one shining moment into a terrible certainty in his mind. Dread fell like a ton of lead straight down to the pit of his stomach. His fist trembled as his grip tightened around the soft felt of the hat.

_I need to find the others! Warn them before-_

A piercing scream of raw unadulterated terror knifed through the air before he could finish the thought.

_That's Aiko!_ He spun around wildly, sword flashing from its sheath and then he was off, running as fast as he could towards the sound.

The scream had died off, leaving an ominous silence in its wake. But Zoro continued to dash doggedly through the forest in its direction, weaving between the trees and crashing through the bushes, slashing with his sword when the undergrowth grew too thick for him to pass. It was then he became aware that the forest had changed.

The woods were too quiet. He had been bothered with the oppressive heat and distracted with the search for Chopper that he had not noticed it earlier, but now it was only too apparent. The noisy twittering of the birds in the canopy had faded to silence. Even the ever present low hum of pesky insects that filled the humid air was gone. The forest was dead, eerily silent with tense anticipation, as if the trees themselves waited with baited breath for inevitable calamity.

There was something hostile in the air-something powerful and very, very dangerous.

Zoro cursed as he ran faster, the sound of his heartbeat thundering in his ears.

Bursting through another patch of dense shrub, he collided straight into someone and was almost knocked to the ground. He had drawn his other sword and was prepared to attack when he recognized the sparkling eyes and the messy toss of black hair beneath a familiar straw hat. A small movement to his left turned out to be the trembling tip of Usopp's nose protruding from behind a tree.

"Zoro!" Luffy grinned from where he had fallen on the ground. "You gave me a scare!" He got up, rubbing his behind and called to the sharpshooter. "Hey Usopp! You don't have to hide, it's only Zoro."

"I wasn't hi-hiding." Usopp poked his head out from behind the gnarled trunk tentatively, eyes darting warily everywhere. After making sure there was indeed no threat, he swaggered out from his cover confidently and hooked his thumbs into the straps of his coveralls, striking up an exaggerated pose. "I was battling this flesh-eating flower that was trying to swallow me whole. But I, the Great Captain Usopp-"

Zoro growled and silenced him with a curt gesture. He had no time for one of Usopp's elaborate lies. "Did you hear the scream? Where are the others?"

Before either of his companions could answer, a faint noise of activity wafted over the still air. Sanji's distinctive smooth baritone, low and urgent but nevertheless gentle with concern, sounded somewhere to their left. "Aiko-chan! What happened? Are you all right?"

Zoro glanced at his crewmates and jerked his head towards the voice. They pushed their way through the bushes to finally arrive at the scene.

The young woman cowered beneath a large tree. She was shaking, one hand pressed to her mouth as if to stifle her own screams. Her large green eyes were enormous in her ashen face, wide and staring with unspeakable horror.

"It's alright. Tell us what's wrong." Nami had her arm around the distraught girl, rubbing her back soothingly, trying to ease the whittling knife from her tense grip with little success. Aiko didn't seem to hear her; she appeared to be lost in shock, her small brown hands were clasped around her knife so tight the knuckles were white.

Sanji hovered fretfully over the ladies, chewing on his lower lip anxiously; his exposed blue eye was serious and troubled. Catching Nami's despairing glance, he nodded and knelt down in front of Aiko.

"Aiko-chan?" He folded his long-fingered hands gently around her smaller ones, quietly urging her to look at him. "It's us. We're here. Don't be afraid."

She blinked, finally meeting his gaze. "S-Sanji-san?" Her lower lip trembled and tears filled her eyes. The knife slipped from her grasp and fell noiselessly onto the loamy ground. "I…I'm…"

"Where's Robin?" Zoro asked suddenly.

Her eyes shot up to stare at him, as if just noticing his presence, recoiling a little as if staggered by the question. Terror flickered briefly through her eyes once more and her face darkened with unmistakable guilt before she looked away hastily.

"I don't know…I didn't see…" She stammered, pulling her hands away from the cook's comforting grip and wrung them together uneasily in her lap. "We were walking together, talking. Then, something…something must have attacked her because when I turned around, she was just…well…_gone_!"

"And I suppose _you_ have absolutely nothing to do with it." Zoro sheathed his sword and folded his arms across his chest, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You bastard! Are you out of your mind?" Sanji rose fluidly to his feet, his face tight with anger as he strode over. "Are you actually _blaming_ her for this? How dare you! Can't you see how distressed she already is?"

"Oh, I'm not blaming her just for Robin's disappearance." Zoro muttered darkly, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on their stowaway. With a flick of his hand, he tossed the battered remains of Chopper's hat onto the ground for all to see. "I'm saying she's got something to do with _this_ too."

A collective gasp went up as the Straw-hats froze, and then rushed forward as one to huddle in a circle around the precious item of their crewmate.

"Chopper…" Nami reached out with a tentative hand, tracing the length of the gaping slash gingerly. "Where did you find this?"

"Among some bushes that way." He answered, jerking a thumb over his shoulder, still watching Aiko intensely. "What have you done with them?" He demanded.

Aiko had buried her face in her hands but she looked up abruptly at his accusing tone. She held her head high, almost regally as she glared back at him defiantly. Her green eyes met his steadily, suddenly burning with a fierce light.

"I did not do anything." She spoke through clenched teeth, stressing each word to make the meaning of her statement clear. "There's something out here in the forest. It must have attacked and taken them."

"What is this _thing_ then?" He challenged.

"I-I…It's…" She faltered.

Zoro's eyes narrowed into slits. "I knew you were trouble the first time I saw you. You'd better tell me what you've done," He growled, one hand touching his sword in warning. "or else I assure you, you'll be very sorry you had even _thought_ of boarding our ship."

She faced his threat unflinchingly. "I'll tell you one more time, I have _nothing_ to do with this!"

"Oi, shithead! How dare you speak to a lady in that way!" A foot came flying his way as the irate blond lashed out at him.

He dodged the cook's blow and turned to Sanji, grinned tightly in anticipation of the fight. The stress of the situation was getting to him; he desperately needed an outlet. His sword found its way easily into his hand and he held it up, ready to attack.

"Ack! Zoro! Sanji! Stop, stop! Listen, now's not the time for this…" Usopp rushed between them, flapping his hand about like a distressed turkey as he tried to keep them apart and failing miserably.

A loud laugh rang out suddenly and made them pause, mid-fight.

They both turned, with Zoro's hand still fisted around Sanji's tie and the cook's shoe mashed against the side of his face, and looked at Luffy. Their captain broke into another peal of boyish chuckles. "Man, you guys are funny…" He grinned confidently, completely unaffected by the grim circumstances. "There's nothing to worry about!"

With one last venomous glare at one another, they released their hold simultaneously and broke apart.

"This is serious, Luffy. Chopper and Robin are missing, probably in danger somewhere."

"Yeah, captain. What are we going to do?" Sanji echoed Zoro tersely, for once in agreement with the swordsman. He adjusted his tie and stuck a fresh cigarette between his lips; his shoulders hunched sullenly as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his trousers. "I'm very worried for Robin-chan."

"It's okay, you guys!" Luffy nodded fervently, the full strength of his faith shining in his smile. "Robin and Chopper are strong. They'll be alright."

Zoro frowned. His friends were indeed capable and could take care of themselves. Besides, it was absurd to think that a skilled, resourceful woman such as Robin could be incapacitated by a simple country girl like Aiko. But he couldn't help but still be bothered by his suspicious about Aiko; she was more than she seemed and he wasn't sure if she was telling them all that she knew.

"Still," Nami spoke up, slipping the three segments of the Clima Tact from her thigh holster and assembling the weapon with a sharp click. "let's search and meet up with them before going on to Aiko's village. They may be in need of our help." She fingered Chopper's ruined hat thoughtfully before fastening it to her side for safekeeping.

"Of course! Let's find them!" Luffy crowed, dashing off into the trees with delight, probably taking Nami's suggestion to be a hide-and-seek game.

Nami sighed and slapped a resigned hand over her face. Mumbling tersely about idiotic captains, she headed off in the opposite direction to start her search.

"Nami-san is so wise!" Sanji trailed after her, his whole demeanor was one of dreamy devotion. But Zoro saw the sober and watchful look in the cook's eye. There was a guarded rigidity in the taunt line of his shoulders as he sidled up beside the navigator, keeping protectively close as they walked.

"I think I'll stay with you, Zoro. With your bad direction sense, you'll need my super-duper, better-than-a-log-pose senses to-" Usopp took one look at the demonic glare the swordsman was giving Aiko and gulped. "-or maybe not."

"Er…hehehe…you two enjoy yourselves. I'll just…ummm…go and…er…" He backed away nervously, before turning and breaking into a run after their captain. "Luffy…!"

The hush of the forest filled the air once more as Usopp's cries faded into the distance. Left alone, they stood in a strained silence for a moment.

"Still won't tell what you've done with them?"

"I've done nothing!" Aiko snapped self-righteously. "There's something in these woods and I'm telling you, it's taken them."

"So if you want your friends back, I suggest you'd better start looking for this creature and plan on how to kill it." She stated flatly. Then, as if it was her final say on the matter, she turned her back on him and started walking away.

"Oh no, you don't." Zoro caught her arm roughly and tightened his grip when she tried to twist away. "_You_ are with me." He smirked at her indignant expression, his eyes narrowed threateningly. "And you'd better not to be up to anymore tricks."

She huffed angrily and rolled her eyes but kept silent. Together, they moved off, plunging back into the jungle once more.


End file.
